Lewis i



UNITED STATES rricE.

PATENT D. HOUSTON, JR,

OF SAME PLACE.

LAWN-MOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,038, dated January 8, 1889. Application filed October 13, 1887. Serial No. 252,238. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS D. HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Concordia, in the countyof Cloud and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lawn-Mowers, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in lawn-mowers; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a lawnmower embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same, taken 011 the line 00 cc of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of the chain. Fig. l is a detail view of a portion of the spur-wheel N.

A represents the main frame, which comprises the parallel side arms, b, having thelr rear ends curved inward and approaching each other, and the bars C and D, which are arranged at right angles to the side bars and serve to connect the same. The lower ends of the bars B are bent at suitable angles and form forwardly-eXtending arms E, on which is secured a transversely-arranged finger or plate, F, the ends of which project beyond the sides of the frame. This finger-plate has its ends rounded and its rear side forming an obtuse angle, as shown in Fig. 1. v To the front side of the finger-plate are attached a series of fingers, G, which are V-shaped and project forward from the finger plate, as shown, andhave their proj ecting forward converging edges beveled on their under sides. These fingers also perform the same office as the ledger-plates usually employed in this class of machines.

H represents a push rod or handle, the front end of which is bolted between the rear curved ends of the side bars, B. To the rear ends of this push-rod is attached a transverse cross-bar, I.

K represents a shaft which is gournaled 111 bearing-blocks L, bolted to the under sides of the bars B at a suitable distance from the front ends of the said bars. To the projecting ends of this shaft are secured drivingwheels M. To the center of the shaft- K is loosely secured a spur-wheel, N, which is provided at its center on both sides with a series of ratchet-teeth, O.

P represents a pair of disks which are rigidly attached to'the shaft K and bear against opposite sides of the wheel N. To these disks are pivotedpawls R, which are adapted to engage the ratchet-teeth of the wheelN when the shaft is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, when the machine is moved forward, and thereby cause the wheel N to rotate with the shaft. 'hen the machin e is backed and the rotation of the shaft K is reversed, the pawls slip idly on the ratchetteeth 0 and permit the wheel N to remain stationary on the shaft, as will be readily understood.

S represents a counter-shaft which is journaled in bearing-blocks T, bolted to the under side of bars B, and is arranged parallel with and at a suitable distance in advance of the shaft K. To the center of this shaft S is rigidly attached a pinion, U, which meshes with the wheel N, and on the said shaft is detachably secured a miter-wheel, V, which is adapted to be attached to the shaft S in such a manner as to bear against either side of the pinion U, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

To the upper side of the finger-plate F, at the center thereof, is secured a strap or spanner, V.

X represents a short vertical shaft, which is journaled in the spanner and in the head F, and to this shaft is attached a sprocketwheel, Y, which bears horizontally on the finger-plate, and a miter-wheel, Z, on the upper side of wheel Y.

A represents a longitudinally -arranged shaft, the front end of which is journaled in a bearing that projects from the center of the bar D, and the rear portion of which is journaled in a bearing, B, bolted to the upper side of bar D at the center thereof. To the rear end of this shaft is rigidly attached a miter-pinion, C, which meshes with the miter-wheel V, and to the front end of the shaft A is attached a miter-wheel, D, which meshes with the miter-wheel Z.

cured in the linger-plate and in straps l",

which are bolted to the up1 )erside ol? the said linger-plate and. extend over the pulle. vs.

t represents an endless chaiimvliieli passes artamd the pulleys E and the returside of the sproeket-whmtl of the latter. lar distances apm't, are attached cutters ll, which are similalti n size and shape to the tingers G and have their edges beveled on their upper sides.

From the foregoing description, and by relerenee to Figs. 1 and it will be undtarstood that when the maehint; is moved torward the rotation of the shaft. K will be communicated to the shaft S and from the latter to the shaft A, and will cause the (uttttars to pass continuously over the tin gers.

\Vhen the (flitting-edges on one side of the lingers and ot. the cutters become worn, the

Y, and is engz'iged by the teeth 'lo this chain, at suitable regnmiter-wheel Y is removed from the shatft s and replaced thereon in a position reverse to that. which it formerly occupied on the said shaft, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. \Vhen the wheel 'V is thus reversed on the shaft, it causes the emlless chain and its out; I

tor-plate to operate in a rcwerse direct ion from that in which they formerly operated, thereby bringing the hitherto unused eutting cdges o t the cutters and the lingers into use, and thereby greatly increasing the durability of the machine.

It will be observed by reference to l ig. that all the gearing is arranged in the center of the machine.

cry to operate smoothly and with a minimum amount of friction.

A lawn-mowm' thus constructed is adapl ed This is advantagwus in pre- I venting side draft and in causingthe machin- 1. The combination, in a mower, oi the frame having the lingerplate at: its front end, the pulle on the ends of the said linger-plate, the 'tingta's secured to the front side ot the tinger-plate, the sta'oeket-wheel arranged on the linger-plate, the initenwheel 71, secured to the said s woclctetavheel, the endless chain engagin g the sprocket-wheel and. passing around the pulleys, the cutters attached to the said endless chain. and adapted to pass continuously over the lingers, the driving-shaft journaled in the frame and having the gear-wheel N at its center, the shaft S, arranged in front; of the driving-shatt and having the pinion engaging with the gear-wheel and adapted to be reversed on shaft S, for the purpose set forth, and thelongitudinally-arranged shat't A, midway between the sides of the frame, having the miter-wheel at its trout end engagii'ig the wheel Z and the mit'er'wheel at its rear end engaging the wheel Y, substantialtv as described,

2. The (j-tnnbination ol' the Frame, the driving-shattjournaled therein, the shaft b, gea red to the d riving-shal't, the plate arranged at the front end of the lirame and having the lingers sharpened on. their projecting converging edges, the endless Spl't)(tlCUt-Ullillll on the plate, having the cutters ll. shar iened on their projeeting ctmverging edges, the sproelcet-wheel arranged at the center of the plate and engaging the sprocket-chain to drive the latter, the longitudinal shalt A, arrai'iged in the center of the frame, gears l) and Z, connecting the same with the sprocket-wlieel, and gears (1 and Y, conmrcting shal't A with the drivingshalft, the said gear Y being adapted to be rcversed on shalt to operate the sprocketehain in either direction, substantially as described.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own. I have hereto at'tixed my signature in presei'ice of two witnesses.

LEYVIS I). HALL,

i tnesseg;

Enwitn n M ansli u ri, L. N. llOUS'lUN. 

